Shoe heel



Nov. 22, P. B. SULLIVAN SHOE HEEL Filed July 13, 1937 E N N Du m A Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOE 'HEEL Peter B. Sullivan, Randolph, Mass.

Application July 13, 1937, Serial No. 153,315

8 Claims.

This invention relates to the heel structures of shoes and is more especially concerned with the high heels of womens shoes.

Heels of this type usually consist of a wood heel or heel body covered with some sheet material consistent with the style and general makeup of the shoe and equipped with a leather or rubber top lift. Since practically all of the wear on the heel comes on this top lift, it is necessary after a time to renew this member. Such renewal is very liable to split the wood heel and thus to ruin it. This is particularly true if the heel is of the so-called spike type, since such a heel has a very small lower end to. which the top lift is secured.

The present invention deals with the problem presented by these conditions, and it aims to devise a heel structure with which the renewal of the top lift can be effected quickly, economically, and with no danger of injuring the body of the heel. While the invention is particularly useful as applied to wood heels, it can also be used to advantage on other types of heels.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 are perspective views, respectively, of a wood heel, a top lift securing plate, and a top lift assembly, all embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 4 is a vertical, sectional view through the lower part of the heel shown in Fig. l, illustrating the manner in which the plate preferably is mounted;

Fig. 5 is a vertical, sectional view through the assembly shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, showing the complete heel structure;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the invention applied to a different form of heel;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the top lift structure shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 6 illustrating a modification.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, the construction there shown comprises a wood heel 2. Secured to the lower face of this heel is a top lift securing plate 3 in which are provided two slots 4-6, one behind the other. The top lift 5 has a metal plate 6 secured to its upper face and is provided with two lugs Lil whi h project upwardly through the slots 4-4. In each of these lugs a hole 9, Fig. 3, is drilled, and the two holes are alined with each other and with a hole ll drilled horizontally in the heel just above the plate 3, this hole opening on to the breast surface of the heel. A pin 8 is pushed through these holes and thus secures the top lift assembly releasably in its operative position. Preferably this pin is exteriorly roughened so that it offers a substantial degree of resistance to pulling it out of place and thus avoids any danger of its working out of its operative position accidentally. No attempt has been made to show the covering for the heel since the nature of the covering used is immaterial so far as the present invention is concerned.

When the top lift 5 has become worn suificient- 1y to make its renewal desirable, it is merely necessary to purchase a new pair of top lifts, preferably with the plates 6 secured to them, and then to remove the worn top lift on each shoe by withdrawing the pin 8 and simply pulling the top lift assembly off the heel. The new top lift is put on the heel in place of the old one and is secured in this position by reinserting the pin 8.

In order to. avoid the use of metal fasteners in securing the plate 3' to the heel 2 and thus eliminating the necessity for weakening the heel and possibly splitting it, I prefer to make this plate in the form of a circular disk with roughened edges, somewhat bulged or convex in crosssection, and to bore a very shallow hole in the bottom of the heel to form a seat l0 adapted to support the margin of the disk 3. Eitherat this time, or subsequently, the bottom of the heel also is cut away to provide spaces above the slots 4-4 into which the lugs 1-! can project. Preferably'this is accomplished by drilling an annular hole or groove 12 in the heel so that the wood in the central part of the heel will not be removed but will be left in the form of a post or projection Id. In securing the plate in the heel, it is merely necessary to place it on its seat In and then to force the central portion of this plate upwardly into substantially the plane of the margins of the plate. This flattens the plate into approximately the form shown in Fig. 6, and during this flattening process the overall diameter of the disk is increased, thus forcing the edges of the disk into the circular wall of material surrounding the seat in and embedding it in this wall. The degree of expansion or enlargemerrt of the disk need not be great in order to Secure it in the heel with ample firmness for the purposes of this invention. This arrangement, however, requires a very simple assembling process, avoids the use of metal fastenings, and provides a more secure fastening means than do nails, tacks, and the like. In addition, the parts and the method of assembly are relatively inexpensive. By leaving the post M in the central part of the cavity formed in the face of the heel, or by providing a similar post additionally, the range of the flattening movement of the disk is limited, this post acting as a stop against which the central part of the disk is forced.

It will be observed that the pin 8 cooperates with the wood of the heel in which it is embedded and the lugs of the plate 6 to hold the top lift against the bottom face of the heel. The plate 3, however, is essential in a heel structure of this character in reinforcing the bottom face of the heel, positioning the lugs I so as to center the top lift accurately and holding the lugs in such positions against the forces tending to displace the top lift laterally, forward, or backward.

The metal plate 6 may be secured to the upper surface of the top lift by providing this plate with metal prongs or tongues, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, these prongs being partly cut from the material of the plate itself and being forced into the upper part of the lift.

Figs. '7 and 8 show the invention in a convenient form for application of a leather heel or a wooden heel of larger tread dimensions. This construction is like that shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6, except that here the metal plate 6, which is secured to the upper surface of the top lift 5, is of smaller overall dimensions than the top lift and is set into the top lift flush with its upper surface. In other words, the margin l5 of the top lift is left uncovered by the plate 6'. This construction is preferred in leather heels since the presence of the edge of the plate at the periphery of the heel would not be desirable. It is usually, however, more desirable to have the plate edge exposed in spike heels, Louis heels, and other very high heels, since this metal plate protects the margins of the heel cover where they are turned over upon the bottom of the wood heel 2 and cemented to this bottom surface.

When the nature of the heel 2 is such that it should be reinforced by a dowel, the dowel pin may be utilized to back up the metal plate 3 in essentially the same manner that the part I4 backs up this plate. However, a more convenient construction is to make the dowel pin of metal integral with the metal disk or plate 3. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 9, the dowel pin being indicated at l6 and the metal disk or plate at 18, and these two parts being integral with each other. The disk [8 is slotted in the same manner as is the disk 3 to receive the lugs 1-4 of the plate 6 which is secured to the top lift 5. This heel lift is releasably locked in its operative position by a pin 8 in the same manner as in the constructions above described.

While I have herein shown and described typi-' cal embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim as new is:

1. In an article of the character described, the combination of a heel, a metal plate on the lower face of said heel, said plate having a slot therein, the plate being set into said face substantially flush therewith and having its edge embedded in the material of the heel and thereby secured to the heel, a top lift having .a metal plate secured in its upper surface and provided with a lug extending into said slot, and a pin extending from the breast portion of the heel horizontally above said plate and through a hole in said lug and thereby releasably locking said top lift on the heel.

2. In an article of the character described, the combination of a Wood heel, a metal plate on the lower face of said heel and provided with a pair of slots located one behind the other, the edge of said plate being embedded in and thereby secured to the wood of the heel, a top lift having a metal plate secured on its upper surface and provided with two upright lugs extending into said slots, each of said lugs having a hole therethrough and said holes being alined with each other and lying just above said plate, and a pin extending from the breast portion of the heel above said plate and through said holes and thereby releasably locking said top lift to said heel.

3. In an article of the character described, the combination of a wood heel, a metal plate on the lower face of said heel and provided with a pair of slots located one behind the other, said face being cut away to provide spaces in said heel immediately above said slots, means rigid with said heel for supporting the plate between said slots, a top lift having a metal plate secured on its upper surface and provided With two upright lugs extending into said slots, each of said lugs having a hole therethrough and said holes being alined with each other and lying just above said plate, anda pin extending from the breast portion of the heel above said plate and through said holes and thereby releasably locking said top lift to said heel.

4. In an article of the character described, the combination of a wood heel, a metal plate on the lower face of said heel and provided with a pair of slots located one behind the other, said face being cut away to provide spaces in said heel immediately above said slots and to form a seat for the margin of said plate, the wood of said heel supporting the portion of the plate between said slots, a top lift having a metal plate secured on its upper surface and provided with two upright lugs extending into said slots, each of said lugs having a hole therethrough and said holes being alined with each other and lying just above said plate, and a pin extending from the breast portion of the heel above said plate and through said holes and thereby releasably locking said top lift to said heel.

5. That improvement in processes of securing a top lift to a heel, which consists in shaping the lower face of the heel to form a seat for marginal portions of a top lift fastening plate, providing said plate with a raised central portion, positioning said plate on said seat, and thereafter forcing said raised portion of the plate toward the plane of the margins of the plate, whereby said marginal portions are spread apart and forced into the material of said heel at the edge of said seat.

6. That improvement in processes of securing a top lift to a heel, which consists in shaping the lower face of the heel to form a circular seat adapted to receive a circular disk-shaped top lift securing plate, said plate having an upwardly bulged central portion and said seat supporting the margin of said plate and being surrounded by a wall of material of the heel, placing said plate in said seat and thereafter pressing upon the bulged portion of the plate and thereby expanding said plate laterally sufliciently to force the edges of said plate into said surrounding wall.

7. In an article of the character described, the combination of a heel, a metal plate on the lower face of said heel, said plate having a slot therein, a dowel supporting said plate and extending upwardly into said heel, a top lift having a metal plate secured thereto and provided with a lug extending into said slot, and a pin extending from the breast portion of the heel horizontally above the first mentioned plate and through a hole in said lug and thereby releasably locking said top lift on the heel.

8. In an article of the character described, the combination of a Wood heel, a metal plate on the lower face of" said heel and provided with a pair of slots located one behind the other, a metal dowel backing up said plate between said slots and extending upwardly into said heel where it reinforces the heel against horizontal splitting, a top lift having a metal plate secured thereto and provided with two upright lugs extending into said slots, each of said lugs having a hole therethrough and'said holes being alined with each other and lying just above the first mentioned plate, and a pin extending from the breast portion of the heel above the latter plate and through said hole and releasably locking said top lift to said heel.

PETER B. SULLIVAN. 

